A COUPLE from Sheffield claim they were "told off" for dialling 999 - after a shot was apparently fired through their window.
Ahmed Hizam, aged 76, and his wife Irene, 70, say they have been left terrified after their bathroom window exploded, sending shards of glass flying.
Mr Ahmed, a retired steelworker who came to Sheffield from Tanzania 52 years ago, says he could have been killed. But when he and his wife dialled emergency services they were told their attack was not an emergency.
What do you think? Add your comment below.Ahmed told The Star: "If I had been at the washbasin in front of the window I could have been killed.
"The glass went flying everywhere. It wasn't a stone, or a golf ball, or anything like that, because the force at which the glass shattered was far too powerful.
"We have looked around and can't see anything obvious like a stone, so it must have been some kind of a pellet.
"They said it wasn't an emergency and told us off for ringing 999 but I could have been killed."
More than 16 hours later a police officer was despatched to the couple's house on The Dial, Firth Park.
By that time the desperate pensioners had telephoned South Yorkshire Police for a second time to find out when the incident was going to be investigated.
Irene said: "We are disappointed that the police told us we shouldn't have dialled 999 and that it took so long for them to come to see us.
"It was as though they didn't think our window being shot out was serious enough."
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "We are aware of an incident of criminal damage which occurred at The Dial in the Firth Park area of the city.
"However, due to the high volume of emergency calls we were experiencing at the time we were unable to speak to the victim in person until the following day.
"A window in the property was smashed by an unknown object.
"This is a serious offence which could have resulted in someone being injured.
"House to house enquiries have been carried out and all lines of enquiry have been investigated.
"Officers from the Burngreave, Firth Park, and Shiregreen Safer Neighbourhood Teams are carrying out regular patrols in the area."
Anyone with information should call PC Darren McKenna on 0114 2523994 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
READ MOREBack to main news index.Latest video reportsTraffic and travel information.Check out the jams on Sheffield's traffic cameras.Today's features.Books of condolence.Pictures.More Barnsley news.More Rotherham news.More Doncaster news.The full article contains 451 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
